Snapshot
by imafangirlforever
Summary: Redemption doesn't start with a Miraculous. Chloe begins to change, and her classmates don't know how to take it. [Chloe redemption tho] [begins pre-Queen Bee] [season 2 tho I have HOPE for her ahhhh my baby]
1. Chapter 1

It started when their photographer was running late for a photo shoot.

Chloe had been waiting impatiently for the man to arrive, tapping her foot repeatedly and gritting her teeth as she adjusted her sunglasses. Where _was_ that stupid photographer? Her father didn't have _that_ much time to waste on a photoshoot, even if it was for his reelection campaign. They already had all the equipment _set up,_ for Heaven's sake. It wasn't like there was an akuma attack going on right now. Hawkmoth had been relatively quiet recently, as numerous reports had pointed out in the past week. Standing by the cameras and intimidated makeup personnel, Chloe waited.

And waited.

 _Annnd waited._

"Ugh, that's it!" Chloe exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air melodramatically and rolling her eyes. Her lips turned downwards into a nasty scowl as she sent the makeup personnel a glare that made them all wince and step backwards. Everyone knew that when Chloe Bourgeois was pissed off, it was best to let the girl cool off by herself. "We don't have time to wait for this imbecile any longer. Do any of you know how to operate this camera?"

As one, all of them shook their heads fearfully.

Chloe growled, glancing at the clock and muttering, "Useless, all of you."

Her father looked remarkably calm despite the situation. He had always held the cool countenance of a politician that Chloe had always envied: she, he had always told her, had inherited the fiery temper of her mother. Chloe glanced upwards at the clock again, pursing her lips in irritation. Still, there was no frantic photographer bursting onto the scene.

"Screw this," Chloe murmured. Pompously, she approached the camera, fiddling with the lens a little. She had attended enough of Adrien's photoshoots back in the day to gather some semblance of understanding of the professional equipment. "Daddy, I'll take the pictures."

 _He had a lot of work to do after this, right?_ Chloe recalled overhearing several conversations between her father and his campaign manager about the importance of his upcoming interviews and speech before tonight's banquet.

Although the makeup personnel looked appalled, her father seemed to understand her underlying message.

"Thank you, Chloe," her father sent her a smile, and Chloe couldn't help but puff up with pride at his praise. She waited for him to reach forward and ruffle her hair like he used to ( _"Daddy!"_ she would whine afterwards, complaining about how it ruined her perfect hairstyle, but they both knew she loved it anyways), but it never came. He never acted informal anymore, not even with her. It was part of his duty as the mayor of Paris.

Well, at least he didn't question her competence with cameras, unlike the makeup personnel who were exchanging numerous dubious glances. Chloe began to direct her father into numerous positions, snapping pictures and adjusting the camera every so often. Although they weren't the _best_ of pictures, she supposed that they would do. And, on the plus side, she was probably taking pictures faster than any of the perfectionist photographers that her father would hire.

She was working herself into a steady rhythm when the doors of the studio slammed open and a colorful man deigning himself as "Monsieur Photo" began screaming at her for stealing his limelight. When he immobilized her with a snap of his camera and dragged her still body towards the rooftop, Chloe wasn't even surprised anymore.

Playing the role of the distressed damsel in distress (which, in retrospect, she was), Chloe screeched and made several derogatory comments about his fashion sense. Inwardly, she rolled her eyes as the villain threatened to push her off the roof as a determined superhero duo confronted him. These villains weren't even _creative_ anymore.

And thus, Chloe was once again attributed to creating another akuma.

* * *

Change was a slow, slow thing that was hard to notice until it was blatantly shoved in one's face.

Chloe sneered at Sabrina. "What are you _talking_ about?"

"I mean, you've just been a little different lately, Chloe," Sabrina said nervously, fiddling with her ginger hair awkwardly. She squirmed under her companion's glare.

"I am _not_ different," Chloe said firmly. Then, she turned back to stare at the window, idly noting that the leaves looked pretty green today. Maybe she should take a picture.

Sabrina stared at her friend before shrugging and turning around. A week ago, Chloe would've started screaming at her for pointing out her behavior.

(Not different, her ass. Sabrina wondered how long it'd take for the rest of their class to notice.)

* * *

When Madame Bustier told them that the class had to create a creative interpretation of "Sun", Chloe went home and asked her father to buy her a camera. The next day, when she brought a gold plated camera that must've been worth over 10,000 euros to school, her classmates assumed she was trying to show off her wealth once again.

When she asked Adrien to model for her, it only solidified the class's assumptions. Chloe paid no heed to the whispers and stares she was getting from around the room; she had heard them all before, over and over. Whispers and stares were the norm for her now, both as a mayor's daughter and the designated "mean girl" of the class.

Yeah, Chloe knew about that, too.

Of _course_ she knew that she was a bitch. Chloe wasn't an airhead, contrary to what some might assume from her blonde hair and histrionic nature. There just wasn't any way for her to change. If she acted kind to someone, people wondered what her ulterior motive was. If she ignored everyone completely, people would whisper about how surprised they were that she hadn't insulted anybody yet. If she acted cruel and mean, _then_ everyone would finally breathe a sigh of relief as if the world had returned to its natural state.

She didn't do it because she wanted to get close to Adrien.

It was just that...when she heard the word "Sun", her childhood friend was the first thing to pop into her mind. Adrien _was_ the Sun to her: he was kind, he was warm, and the entire world seemed to bow at his feet. He was just so _Adrien,_ and everyone loved him for that.

In the same way, she was so _Chloe,_ and everyone hated her for that.

If Adrien was the Sun, she reflected, Chloe was probably the moon. A constant reflection that desperately tried to be as bright and warm as the real thing, but always failed.

Adrien, of course, gently turned down her proposition. He was already busy with his normal model photoshoots, schoolwork, and various afterschool activities. Plus, the two of them had grown rather estranged after he entered school. It would've been nothing short of _miraculous_ if he had accepted.

Chloe was undeterred. Contrary to her classmates' beliefs that she would switch to something else or copy off of another of Marinette's ideas (because that _obviously_ worked out the first time; Chloe wasn't an _idiot)_ , Chloe still decided to use her camera for the project. Instead, she found herself taking pictures of Ladybug and Chat Noir.

Originally, she had planned to solely take pictures of Ladybug. Ladybug was Chloe's _idol:_ she was kind, beautiful, brave, and undaunted by the large amount of press interest in her. Chloe wished that she could stay as genuine and strong under the pressure of cameras and questions from the press. But as she religiously dogged after the superheroine's footsteps, Chloe realized that Ladybug always looked her best around her partner.

Sure, when asked questions by reporters, Ladybug would still flash them a smile before giving an answer. But when the red-clad superheroine talked with her partner, something about her countenance seemed to soften. The same thing, Chloe realized, applied to Chat Noir. The two of them worked together seamlessly as one unit. They possessed a fluidity and understanding that Chloe could only desperately hope to capture with her lenses, much less have in real life with anybody.

Snapping a picture of one of the duo's signature "Pound it!"s, Chloe approached them. Ladybug had already swung off with her yoyo, but Chat Noir still lingered at the spot for a moment, staring at his partner's retreating figure.

"Excuse me, Chat Noir?"

The leather-wearing superhero seemed to be in his own world, ignoring her completely. Chloe's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Chat Noir?"

Still no sign of acknowledgment.

"Hey, _you,"_ Chloe growled, jabbing her finger in the superhero's chest. This time, it seemed to do the trick. Chat Noir finally managed to rip his gaze away from his partner's silhouette towards her. Something about the sight of her must've startled him completely, for he almost jumped back in surprise.

"Oh, uh...Miss Bourgeois," he managed to get out, blinking in surprise as he took in the sight of her. No doubt Chloe looked different from how he usually saw her: she had to sneak out of her room tonight to take some night shots of the superhero pair, and in her haste, hadn't put on any makeup or done her hair into her usual immaculate ponytail. He cleared his throat, steadying himself and adopting that _hero voice_ that he and Ladybug used around civilians. "Is there something I can help you with? I'm afraid my time's about to run out, so we'll have to chat real quick. Unless it's something really important, then I can probably go run and recharge."

"No need," Chloe dismissed, her grip on her camera tightening. For once, the blonde found herself at a loss for words. She was talking to a _superhero._ Chloe had talked to both Ladybug and Chat Noir in the past, of course. Considering her track record with akumas, it was a wonder that the two didn't set up some kind of guard duty over her. But usually whenever she talked with them it was more of the "get down and don't let them see you!" rather than an actual civilized chat. "I just had a quick question. Is that alright?"

 _"Purr_ fect," Chat agreed, sending her a cheeky grin. Chloe tried not to roll her eyes _(she really did!)_ , but to her horror, she found a small smirk growing on her face. That seemed to throw off the superhero as well, but she barreled on before her courage could falter.

"In school, we have a project where we have to create something about the Sun," she explained, noting that the superhero didn't look that surprised. "I've been following you and Ladybug for the past three days taking a few shots because I'd like for you two to be my theme, but I figured I should probably ask for permission to use these for my presentation."

"Pictures?" Chat Noir asked, looking remarkably surprised. She was relieved that his reaction wasn't an immediate "no", but found herself a little shocked as Chat adopted a small, contemplative look that he only used around Ladybug. "May I take a look?"

Chloe resisted her first instinct that shouted _"these are mine, hell no!"_ and instead surrendered her camera to the superhero. With ease that she wouldn't have expected from the "alley cat", he opened up her gallery and began studying each photo inquisitively. Chloe stood there uncomfortably, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she almost _fidgeted._

 _Fidgeted!_ Her, Chloe Bourgeois!

She didn't know why gaining Chat's approval suddenly gained so much importance to her, but Chloe found herself hoping that he'd approve of the pictures. She had put all of her time, effort, and soul into picking the best shots and tracking them around the city for the past few days. Maybe her hard work would pay off. Unfortunately, Chat's expression was remarkably blank, giving her no insight into the superhero's thoughts.

Finally, he held out her camera. Grabbing it, she sent him a questioning frown.

"Your pictures," Chat said finally, his voice a little soft. "They're really beautiful."

And with that one sentence, Chloe felt her mood lift completely, and she found a small grin tugging at her lips before she could stop it. "You really think so?" Chloe blurted out, almost incredulously.

"Yeah, they are," he confirmed, staring at her almost as if he were seeing her in a new light. "You're...you're talented, Miss Bourgeois."

This time there was no hiding her smile. "Thank you," she breathed, a truly genuine grin lighting up her expression completely. There was a giddy feeling of _happiness_ bubbling in her chest at the superhero's words, because even though she would've been ecstatic if Ladybug had seen them, his approval was enough to send her over the moon. "I didn't really know if I could really capture your relationship right, but you two really _are_ the light that keeps Paris going," she babbled nonsensically, words tumbling out of her mouth one after another. "And I really was going to take pictures of Ladybug but I realized that you and her looked so _right_ together, and really, Paris needs both Ladybug and Chat Noir so I figured I should try to incorporate both of you―"

She was cut off by the sound of laughter.

 _Laughter._

Genuine laughter, not the derisive or forced laughter she usually elicited. Chloe drew back, startled. Slightly concerned, she asked, "Err, Chat Noir…?"

"Sorry," Chat apologized, his lips still twitching as he regained his composure. "It's just that...well, I'm glad to see that you're so passionate about something, Chlo."

"Chlo?" Chloe echoed confusedly. Only Adrien called her that, so it was slightly strange to hear the nickname from another's lips.

Chat's eyes widened and he adopted a guilty look, almost as if he shouldn't have said that. "Sorry, it just slipped out. I didn't mean to―"

"No, it's alright," Chloe allowed, her lips pursing as she thought of Adrien for a moment. "I was just surprised. There's only one person who calls me that and...well, we're not that close anymore."

If she had been watching him closer, she would've seen Chat wince. Unfortunately, Chloe was too focused in her own thoughts to pay much heed to his reaction. "Not close?" Chat asked gently.

"He was my best friend, but recently he's gotten new friends that he likes more," Chloe explained shortly. "Not that I blame him. They...they _are_ nicer than me, but sometimes I wish..."

She had no idea why she was spilling her feelings to Chat. Maybe it was because nobody else ever asked her? "Sometimes I wish that we could still hang out," Chloe finished somberly. There was a moment of awkward silence. Then, the blonde shook herself out of her melancholic attitude. "But that doesn't matter anyways," she said defiantly, tilting her head and daring him to say otherwise. "Can I use those pictures?"

"Of course," Chat's voice was more subdued now, too. "Ladybug and I would be honored."

"Thank you," she said stiffly. Chloe nodded, turning around and intending to head home. She had only walked a few steps before Chat's hesitant voice called after her.

"You know, maybe you should just talk to him."

She turned around, raising an eyebrow inquisitively.

"He might not realize how you're feeling," Chat explained, staring at her with some kind of sad emotion she couldn't recognize. "I'm sure if you explain how much you miss him, he'll talk to you more."

"Sorry, but things don't work like that," she snorted derisively. As if it would be that easy.

"Just...try. And if things don't work out, well...you can always talk to me," Chat offered, a tiny grin sneaking on his face. There was still something sad about his grin, and Chloe couldn't figure out why she _knew_ something was off. Maybe it was because he was like Adrien in some ways; after all, beneath his bravado Chat Noir still was a regular teenager.

"Okay," Chloe said finally, sending him a tentative smile. "I'd...I'd like that."

He returned his smile with ease that made her jealous, then glanced at his ring and cursed. "Gotta go, _cat_ ch you later!"

And Chloe _(Chloe Bourgeois!)_ couldn't help but snicker and wave as the superhero ran off on the rooftops.

* * *

 **Finally got around to cross-posting this on here. :) Next update should be up in a week.**

 **All hail redemption fics. I love them to death.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey, Chloe."

"Chloe."

"Chloe…"

" _Chloe Bourgeois_."

Chloe blinked in surprise for a moment, unsure if she heard right. Then, she slowly lifted her gaze from her camera to stare at Adrien Agreste. The model was standing in front of her desk with a pensive expression on his face. "Adrikins," she acknowledged. "Something the matter?"

She was currently trying to pick between two pictures she had taken of Ladybug and Chat Noir mid-battle. Both of the photos were nice, but it'd be slightly repetitive to have too many of the same thing. Chloe had honestly been so invested in her photos that she had totally missed Adrien's numerous attempts to catch her attention.

Adrien paused for a moment, seemingly at a loss for words. Chloe could feel the weight of the entire class's eyes upon them. "You okay?"

"... _yeeees?_ " Chloe drew out questioningly. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is that all?"

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nino, Marinette, and Alya bristling, ready to stomp over in Adrien's defense. Adrien saw his friends' movements as well; he paused for a moment before sending them a disarming smile. The action immediately made all three of his friends relax. Chloe idly wished her smile had such an effect on...well, _anyone_.

"You've been carrying that camera around recently. What topic did you choose for the project?" Adrien wheedled.

Chloe was about to dismiss him with an upturned nose and snarky "none of your business", but paused. Chat's words echoed in her head involuntarily.

She had to at least... _try,_ right _?_

Chloe turned around to face her childhood friend eye to eye, reminding herself to not come across as too arrogant. "Chat Noir and Ladybug," Chloe answered, slowly and deliberately.

She heard Alix scoff in the background. " _Creative._ "

Adrien, to Chloe's mounting surprise, sent his classmate a glare before turning back to her. "I think that's a pretty cool topic," he said loudly, silencing any lingering whispers in the classroom. "May I see your pictures?"

Chloe contemplated the notion before shrugging. "You'll see them during my presentation, anyways," she murmured, handing her camera over. A sense of deja vu rushed over her as the blonde took the camera from her with a goofy grin. _This is Adrien,_ she told herself firmly, refusing to let herself slip into insanity. _Not Chat Noir._

"Did you get Ladybug's permission?" Marinette's voice rang in the classroom, not exactly accusatory but not exactly welcoming, either. Regardless, Chloe scowled at her insinuation. She crossed her arms over her chest defensively.

"I asked Chat Noir last night," Chloe sniffed, eyes still steadily trained on her camera in Adrien's hands. "And as much as I know you love Ladybug, I'd like to have that back, Adrikins."

Adrien nearly dropped her camera. With a shriek, Chloe's hands reached out towards the equipment, but Adrien was faster. Hands darting out agilely and grabbing the expensive device before it could hit the ground, he straightened and smiled at her sheepishly. "Here," he offered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Sorry about that."

Then, more quietly, he added, "They're nice, Chloe."

A feeling of joy buoyed in her chest before Chloe promptly squashed it. No use in getting her hopes up.

She snatched the camera from his hands, examining it for any scratches despite physically seeing her childhood friend catch the device midair. Her inspection revealed no damage whatsoever, to her immense relief. "Thanks," she said shortly, nodding and sitting down. Adrien lingered awkwardly for a second before turning back to head back to his seat.

It took her several minutes before Chloe realized that she had gotten through a civilized conversation with Adrien for what seemed like forever. Unintentionally, she found herself _happy_ , her eyes twinkling with a tiny spark of _something_ as she observed Madame Bustier explain redox equations.

This...this was a _start_ , wasn't it?

* * *

"That was _weird_ ," Alya said immediately after the bell rang and class was over. Chloe already was out of the classroom, having left with her trusty camera as soon as the bell rang.

"No kidding," Marinette agreed, biting her lip. "Chloe didn't insult _anyone_ today, even when Sabrina almost ruined their science experiment." Said blonde had simply rolled her eyes and cleaned up the mess with a scowl, and although her mood was significantly less pleasant after the incident...well, Chloe didn't blow up. At all.

It was making Marinette slightly paranoid. Thanks to whatever that was lightening Chloe's moody snappiness, there had been less akumas recently. In fact, now that Marinette thought about it, the last akuma that Chloe had caused was that photographer from a week ago.

"Hey Alya, Marinette," Nino started, approaching them with an arm slung around Adrien's shoulders. Marinette felt her face begin to heat up just by the presence of her crush. "We were thinking about heading to a cafe right now since one of Adrien's photoshoots just got cancelled. You two ladies care to join us?"

"Ah, sweet! We'll totally tag along. _Right_ , girl?" Alya nudged Marinette non-too-subtly. Marinette sent her friend a warning glare before beaming at the two boys.

"Yeah! Uh, go we'll you with...I mean, we'll you go with...err, I mean, we'll with you go." _Please let the earth swallow me whole_ , Marinette prayed to herself as her rambling became increasingly nonsensical. "Uh, you meant what I know. I mean, you know what I meant…?" She laughed sheepishly, cheeks burning from embarrassment.

"Cool," Adrien said, beaming. Somehow, he had managed to understand her gibberish. Bless his perfect, kind soul. "Nino's been telling me about some new cafe that's opened up near your family's bakery recently. I'm sure you've heard about it already. Have you gone there yet, Marinette?"

"Yes! I mean, no," Marinette blurted out. Hurriedly, she clarified, "Yeah, I know of it. I haven't gone there yet, though."

"Cool, cool," Nino ushered his blonde friend outside of the classroom. He called over his shoulder towards the girls, "Hurry up, let's get going!"

"Good job, Mari. Keep this up and you might get out three sentences without stuttering," Alya snickered, barely suppressing a wince as Marinette jabbed her elbow into her friend's side.

"Oh, shut up," she muttered, rolling her eyes. The two exchanged glances before bursting into a fit of giggles. Fighting back her laughter and adopting a determined expression, she turned to Alya. "Let's hurry to the front before they think we've ditched them."

"Roger that." Alya saluted.

They had _just_ arrived at the cafe when people began screaming.

Making a quick excuse, Marinette dashed away from the scene and locked herself in the bathroom. She inwardly cursed her luck; being Ladybug felt more unlucky than lucky considering the amount of akuma incidents interrupting her everyday life.

But now wasn't the time to complain about missing time with Adrien. Marinette...no, _Ladybug_ had a duty to Paris that she had to complete. "Tikki, transform me!"

* * *

" _Akuma!_ Run away!"

"I'm not even surprised anymore," Chloe muttered under her breath, ignoring the wave of panicked people running away from the self proclaimed food connoisseur. Trailing after Paris's superhero duo and being threatened by so many akumas had hardened Chloe's resolve. Considering how the majority of akumas weren't lethal, she wasn't too concerned about her wellbeing. The fact that the akuma threatened to send people to better restaurants solidified her resolve to stay and watch the battle. (Oh, the _horror_. Being sent to five star restaurants? Chloe would rather _die_. If Hawkmoth wanted to win, he'd have to seriously step up his game.)

Idly, she prepared her camera for the inevitable appearance of Chat Noir and Ladybug. "I wonder how long it'll take them this time…"

"Miss Bourgeois, who is that?" Chat Noir suddenly jumped down from the rooftops. Chloe hardly blinked at his appearance, although she felt slightly surprised at how quickly he had arrived to the scene. Maybe he lived close by?

"A self proclaimed food connoisseur who thinks that this cafe ripped off some dish from the Congo," she answered, snapping a picture of the black clad superhero. Casually, she sipped her strawberry smoothie and ignored the tables sent flying over her head.

There was a flash of red and then Chloe found herself beside Paris's resident superheroine. "Do you have any idea of where the akuma might be?" It seemed as if Ladybug learned from the Antibug incident. Chloe blinked, observing the akuma victim for a moment. Earlier, he had been remarkably attached to his notebook which he used to write notes for his critiques. A quick scan of the akuma victim revealed the slick black book carefully guarded in his breast pocket.

"Try his notebook," she offered, pointing.

Ladybug scrutinized her expression for a moment. Chloe had no idea what the female superhero saw in her, but there must've been _something_ , for the pigtailed girl nodded firmly before launching her yoyo towards the akuma.

Taking cover under the table, Chloe took another picture.

* * *

"You okay?"

No response.

"Oi."

No response.

Her nostrils flared. " _Hey_ , I'm talking to you, tomato-head."

At the insult, Nathanael _finally_ looked up. Immediately recognizing the blonde haired, ponytailed girl in front of him, he straightened his posture and stammered, "Ch-Chloe!"

"Na-Nathanael!" Chloe mimicked, rolling her eyes. "My name is Chloe. _Chlo-ee._ Not _Ch-Chloe_."

Nathanael wisely changed the subject. "Do you need something, Chloe?"

Chloe huffed at the wary note in his voice, but couldn't bring herself to get mad at him for suspecting something malevolent from her. After all, she _did_ approach him with ulterior motives. "School's out, and everyone's already left," she pointed out. Chloe herself would've already left the classroom had it not been for her needing to talk with said redhead. "You should leave the classroom soon."

"Ah, you're right." Nathanael blinked, as if he hadn't noticed all of their classmates exiting the class. "Is that all?"

"You're an artist," Chloe stated firmly. Idly, her fingers fiddled with the straps hanging over her neck. She had gotten used to the camera's weight by now, but playing with the straps had become a nervous habit.

"...yes?" The redhead's confused expression was warranted; saying that Nathanael was an artist was like saying grass was green or the sky was blue. Nevertheless, Chloe remained undeterred, her stance and confidence showing no sign of wavering as she set down her laptop in front of him.

"Do you know how to use this program?"

Nathanael paused, azure eyes peering curiously at the screen. His eyes lit up in recognition at the photo-editing software; Chloe was unsurprised. Despite his many hand-drawn doodles in class, Nathanael definitely seemed like the kind of person to draw digitally as well. "I do," he answered cautiously. His wariness was starting to irritate the blonde; she wasn't a goddamn _bear_ or some kind of walking disaster that needed a _warning_ label, for pity's sake! That was _Marinette_.

"I need you to teach me to use it," Chloe demanded. "I want to use it for the project."

Finally, realization dawned in Nathanael's eyes as he realized why she approached him. "There are tutorials online, you know," he said uncomfortably, scooching further back in his seat as Chloe's gaze (read: _glare_ ) intensified. "I'm sure you could look up a few videos or play around with it yourself. You'd probably do better without anyone's help, right?"

He was baiting her, Chloe realized. Her eyebrows narrowed. She was _not_ going to be deterred that easily. "I tried that already," she explained through gritted teeth. "The tutorials are stupid, I can barely understand the French they're speaking, and they take _forever_ to get to the point. I just need a basic runthrough of its functions, not all of the fancy special effects. The pictures should speak for themselves."

Nathanael stared at her, looking completely mystified.

Chloe, seeing his confused look, groaned and whipped around. "Whatever, I should've known that you wouldn't help," she grumbled. "I'll go figure it out _myself_ , then."

"Why don't you just...ask somebody your father knows to help you?" Nathanael's meek suggestion made her stop in her tracks.

Chloe turned her head around ever so slightly and scoffed, eyes stormy. "And have some busybody who wants to impress my father take over _my_ project? Thanks, but no thanks."

Chloe chose to be oblivious sometimes. That didn't mean she was an idiot.

And with that, Chloe stalked off with the grace of a tempest, leaving a bemused Nathanael in her wake.

* * *

Three more weeks until they had to present their projects. Chloe groaned, whipping out her mirror and checking her makeup. Her chaffeur remained silent, probably waiting for whatever torrent of complaints she'd hurl his way once again. "Jean Claude, can you believe what I'm doing?" Chloe bemoaned. "Look at me. _Look_ at me."

"I'm afraid I can not, mademoiselle. I must keep my eyes on the road to ensure your safety. I'm sure you look fine, though," he added the placating phrase as an afterthought.

"I've been running around the city for the past week and a half chasing Ladybug and Chat Noir," Chloe realized. "I've been sneaking out of the hotel for the past three nights, running late to Papa's photoshoots, and chatting up with superheroes all for a _school_ assignment that I probably will pass anyways, especially since I'm the mayor's daughter. What am I doing?"

"If I am to be frank, mademoiselle…"

"Speak," Chloe snapped. "Tell me how pathetic I am. Tell me how I'm chasing after superheroes like some ridiculous madman."

"No, mademoiselle," and here he paused. "You are chasing your dreams."

 _Chasing her...dreams?_

Chloe snorted dismissively. "I never took you to be so sentimental."

"You are that way too, are you not?" She could almost feel his blinding smile through his words alone. "I can always bring out Mr. Cuddles―"

"One more word, and I swear, Jean Claude―"

Chloe's complaint was cut off by the sound of an explosion. She only had time to curse before the door to the car was ripped off and a neon-green-clad akuma proclaimed something about taking over the world.

To Chloe, being kidnapped was starting to become a running gag.

* * *

"Don't worry, Miss Bourgeois, I have you," Chat assured her, adjusting his hold around her waist and tightening his grip on his baton. He set her down on the ground before glancing upwards, an awed and almost dreamy expression arising on his face as he watched his partner pull off another " _Miraculous Ladybug!"_

"You really love her, don't you?" Chloe observed.

Chat paused, as if he was struggling to find the proper words to describe his admiration for the superheroine. Finally, he said simply, "She's my world."

And that was enough explanation.

They basked in a moment of amiable silence before Chloe blurted out, "I want to learn how to fight."

That was _definitely_ not the reply he was expecting. "Y-you... _what_?" Chat stammered, almost stumbling over his own baton. Chloe snickered at his reaction, but pulled herself together enough to latch him with a firm stare.

"I'm already being chased by akumas all day. It's only a matter of time before Papillon gets his act together and stops sending... _those_." Chloe gestured vaguely to the akuma victim in disgust. "I need to be able to defend myself."

Chat paused and nodded. "Fair enough…" His tone was questioning.

"You and Ladybug obviously learned your moves _somewhere_ , I presume," Chloe clarified, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was wondering if you had a recommendation."

"Ah, I fence," Chat explained, glancing at his rapidly approaching partner. "But I don't know about Ladybug." Turning to his partner, he grinned and held out a fist. "Pound it?"

"Pound it," the red-clad superheroine confirmed, bumping fists with him.

"Miss Bourgeois has a question for you," Chat informed pleasantly. Ladybug blinked, startled, before facing the blonde.

"Do you need something?"

Before she could lose her fake bravado, Chloe blurted out, "Where'd you learn to move like that?"

"Like...what?"

Chloe gave the superheroine the most unbelieving stare she could possibly give. "Like _this_ ," she gestured at the heroine's body. "As your number one fan, I've been tracking you since day one. Even though you kind of _sucked_ at first, you still were able to swing that yoyo around everywhere. Do you take self-defense classes?"

Ladybug paused. "I...uh, actually don't," she admitted.

"Do you fence?"

"...no…"

"Do you do _any_ sports?" Now, even Chat was staring at her in disbelief.

"Not really?" Ladybug laughed sheepishly. "But I loved using yoyos since I was younger, so―" She paused at the sound of her miraculous beeping, suddenly aware of the situation and hardening. "Sorry, gotta go. I apologize for not being able to help you, Miss Bourgeois."

Chloe shrugged and waved off her apology, mind still reeling from the fact that _Ladybug_ , despite her quick reflexes and brilliant mind, didn't take _any_ self defense lessons. "Maybe you should look into lessons, too," Chloe replied, her voice somewhat condescending but message clear. "I doubt akumas are always going to be this easy."

Ladybug gave her a measured look before swinging off. "I'll look into it. Thanks, Miss Bourgeois."

Chat, who had been silent for most of the conversation, cursed when beeping began emanating from his body. "Sorry, cat's gotta run. _Cat_ ch you later!"

* * *

 **I swear I don't do it on purpose but I keep forgetting to crosspost here?**

 **But anyways, hello, everyone! I'm glad we all see the potential in Chloe, too. Slow, painful progress, eh? :D**

 **Reviews are fuel for the soul.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Oh my _god_ , my _nails!_ "

Chloe's shrill shriek probably could have been heard in the high heavens. Those near her winced and inched away from the blonde. Adrien, to his credit, just shrunk away from his friend in an act of self preservation.

"Adrikins, I can't do this anymore," Chloe sobbed dramatically, latching onto her friend's arm. "No more of this...this... _i_ _nhumane torture._ "

"It's just _fencing_ , Chloe," Adrien said patiently, patting her arm and gently prying off her grip. "I know that it's hard at first, but I know that you'll improve with time and practice."

The only reason she was even attempting fencing was because she missed her best friend. Chloe knew that taking some kind of self-defense lesson would probably benefit her more when it came to fending off akumas, but this was the _perfect_ excuse for her to spend more time with Adrien. The only problem was that she wasn't counting on fencing being so _hard_ and time consuming.

It was just dancing around with a flimsy metal stick, for heaven's sake! Why was she finding this so _hard?_

She only spoke with Adrien for a total of five sentences because the blonde had been consumed in an intensive workout she didn't dare interrupt for the past half hour.

"I'm _horrendous_ at this," Chloe proclaimed, groaning and resisting the urge to throw herself on the floor. Alas, as the mayor's daughter, she had to keep up her reputation. The last thing her father would want was to see the news headline " _CHLOE BOURGEOIS, A TODDLER AT HEART?"_ the next day at breakfast accompanied with a photo of her throwing a tantrum on the floor.

"You're a novice, that's to be expected. Now, up," a stern voice demanded.

Chloe groaned, bemoaning, "But Monsieur D'Argencourt…"

"I have little respect for those who expect things to be handed to them on a silver platter, Miss Bourgeois. Had it not been for Adrien's insistence, I would not have accepted you in these halls at all, from what I know of your father." Armand D'Argencourt stared impassively at her. Tossing her helmet she had previously discarded back to her, he repeated, "Up."

"C'mon, Chlo, you can do it," Adrien whispered encouragingly. "Just try." Chloe tried not to throw her shoe at him for his blinding optimism. She _was_ trying, for heaven's sake! What was he expecting her to do, collapse in exhaustion? Nope, not her: she was Chloe Bourgeois. Chloe Bourgeois did not work herself to exhaustion, even for self defense. She'd train herself and walk out of the doors in _style_ , thank you very much.

"Stupid superheroes, stupid akumas, stupid _everything_ ," Chloe muttered, dusting herself off as she caught the helmet with surprising ease. Maybe the make-believe superhero sessions with Sabrina _were_ worth something after all. Raising her voice so Adrien could hear, she said loudly, "You're buying me a strawberry parfait and smoothie later."

"Alright," Adrien accepted, too accustomed to his childhood friend's demands to even protest. "Only if you tell me about how your project's going."

"Deal." And, with that, Chloe awkwardly lowered herself into the fencing stance that Adrien guided her into an hour before. Turning to her unamused fencing instructor, she winced. "...en garde?"

* * *

"Miss Bourgeois."

Chloe blinked, looking up from her smoothie. She had _honestly,_ good to honestly attempted not to offend anyone for the past week. She was too busy attempting to figure out the photo-editing program anyways, and since she already had all the pictures she wanted, she didn't go actively searching for akuma attacks as often as before.

(Admittedly, Chloe would go to the attacks sometimes just to see them in action. Occasionally, Chat would drop by and talk with her for a few minutes before hurrying off. God, why didn't she ever notice him? Had she been that blinded by Ladybug's brilliance that she hadn't realized the effectiveness of their combination?)

"Ladybug," she said, immediately scrambling out of her chair. The akuma had just been purified, so she thought that she could resume her usual relaxation at the cafe. "Do you need something?"

"Not exactly…" Ladybug bit her lip, then sighed. In a lowered voice, she murmured, "I was thinking about what you and Chat were talking about before. I just wanted to let you know that I started taking some more extensive training, and that I'd like to...to...thank you for pointing that out."

"I...uh...um…"

In Chloe's defense, she was _not_ prepared to have one of Paris's most popular icons _thank_ her. Hell, she was hardly thanked by her _classmates_ (as if they had a reason for gratitude, anyways), much less a superheroine. "You're welcome?"

"No, I mean it," Ladybug insisted. "You're right: we shouldn't grow complacent just because we think we have the upper hand. We need to get stronger so we can finish this before Hawkmoth does, and I think I forgot that after harmless akuma attacks became part of my usual routine."

"I...yeah...good...cool." Chloe inwardly bemoaned her ineptitude at speaking. Her fingers suddenly itched for her camera, and she impulsively pulled it out of her bag. "Can I take a picture of you?"

"I...what?"

"A personal picture. Like, not without your mask of course," Chloe clarified, "but sometimes it's nice to see the normal and human side of our heroes. We forget sometimes that you're...real."

"I…" Now, it was Ladybug's turn to look awkward, but she nodded. "Sure, but I"ll have to leave in two minutes."

"I'll make it quick," Chloe promised, and just like that, she snapped the shutter.

"I...what?"

"Better for you not to have time to prepare," Chloe dismissed. "I wanted the natural you, not the Ladybug that poses for the cameras."

"I see…" Ladybug watched her closely, then nodded. "Good afternoon, Miss Bourgeois."

"And the same to you. Thanks," she added as an afterthought.

"Anytime."

Chloe was surprised to hear a note of genuine kindness leak into the normally antipathetic superhero.

* * *

"Chloe?"

Chloe shrieked, nearly toppling over her chair. Scrambling to grab her photos scattered on the floor, the blonde glanced upwards to glare at the offender who caused her to make such a mess. Then, she paused, lips pursed. "Nathanael? What do _you_ want?"

"Well…" Nathanael bent down to pick up some of the fallen photos, handing them to her. She snatched them before the redhead could gain the courage to look at them.

The scene was highly reminiscent of their previous meeting: it was after school, the empty classroom quiet and peaceful. She had been caught up in examining her pictures; after talking with the redhead, Chloe had resolved to do her photo-editing herself. After all, Chloe Bourgeois was a confident and headstrong individual: surely she could figure out a photo-editing software by herself!

As evident by the _shit_ that used to be her pictures... _no,_ Chloe Bourgeois could not figure out how to use a photo-editing software.

" _Well_?" Chloe echoed, propping her hand on her hip and raising an eyebrow at her classmate. She had well-mastered the pose after years and years in front of cameras and the paparazzi: confidence radiated off her in waves, and there was nothing about her stance indicating that she was desperate. There was nothing, nothing at all.

"Doyoustillneedhelp?" Nathanael blurted out, his face almost as scarlet as his hair and demeanor unbearably uncomfortable. He spoke so quickly that Chloe couldn't make out his words.

"Sorry... _what_?" To her displeasure, a little more derision leaked into her voice than originally intended. Nathanael winced, but didn't draw back.

"Do you still need help?" Nathanael repeated slowly, wringing his hands awkwardly. "I've been thinking, and even though we haven't had the best past, you haven't done anything to me in particular for awhile. And my schedule's free right now, plus this is only for this project, right? It's always nice to help others if you can...even if the person asking is Chloe Bourgeois." The last sentence was a quiet mutter, probably meant for himself rather than for her. Unfortunately enough, Chloe had relatively good hearing.

She blinked. Then blinked again. Then, crossing the distance between them, asked, "You're not joking with me, right?"

"No?" His answer came out as more of a questioning squeak.

Her face, which previously resembled a brewing storm cloud, brightened. "Cool, because I _do_ need help."

"Oh, I see, that's fine…" he trailed off, then paused. "Wait...you do?"

"Take a look at them yourself." She literally shoved the pile of photos at him, then handed the original photos for comparison. Grudgingly, she admitted, "I need help. _Lots_ of help."

Nathanael glanced at the photos. A small, _tiny_ grin snuck on his lips. "These could use a little work," he admitted kindly. "They're...unfinished works of art."

Chloe rolled her eyes at his euphemism. "They're shit."

It almost sounded as if a snicker escaped from his lips, but the moment passed too quickly for Chloe to tell and Nathanael already shut up, looking horrified at himself. "When would you like to talk about these?"

"Name your time."

"...pardon?"

"Name your time," Chloe demanded. "I'm fine with anything, really, as long as it doesn't clash with my fencing lessons."

"You _fence_?"

"As of three days ago, I do."

Nathanael paused, studying her as if she were some kind of new specimen. Actually, maybe that description fit Max more. The redhead stared at her more as if she was a painting hanging on a museum wall that he couldn't quite decipher the meaning of.

"Got a problem with me fencing?" She challenged, crossing her arms over her chest and scowling at him.

"No, I don't…" Nathanael paused. "It's just that...well, you're kind of _different._ "

"I'm _always_ fabulous, if that's what you mean," Chloe sniffed, flipping her hair and snatching her bag. "Anyways, I gotta go. I'm sure you know how to contact me if you need to, just send me a time and place."

* * *

"And the look on his _face!"_

"For God's sake, Adrikins, if you keep snickering about that, I swear I'll—"

"But you _threw your helmet at him!_ In his face!"

"Well, he deserved it. He's only been fencing for half a year; why does _he_ get to act all entitled and laze around while I slave under the devil?"

"Monsieur D'Argencourt is _not_ a devil, Chloe."

"Did you _see_ him smirk when he made me do more sprints? _Sprints!_ Why the hell do I need to sprint to fence?"

"Agility. Plus it's nice to be able to run face should the situation arise? Especially considering akumas have a special penchant for going after you?"

"Don't you _dare_ act sassy with me, Adrien Agreste."

* * *

"So you do this first?"

"No, that makes it _darker_. You want it _lighter_ here so it accentuates the lighting. And try adjusting the contrast a little."

"What about this?"

"Try changing the blending mode."

"The _what?"_

"..."

"Ugh, don't _you_ start too. Stop it with the eyeroll, tomato head, and start showing me whatever the hell a 'blending mode' is."

* * *

"A toast, to the future of French fencing!"

"Stop being dramatic, Adrikins."

"Stop being a downer, Chlo. You just won your first match!"

"After _two weeks._ "

"Some don't win until at least a month. C'mon, let's toast!"

"We're drinking strawberry _smoothies_ , Adrien."

"..."

"Ugh, fine. Just stop with the puppy-dog eyes."

* * *

"Holy shit."

"Holy shit is...surprisingly accurate."

"How did they turn from _this_ to...to... _this_?"

"Magic. Also known as photo-editing."

"You're...you're actually pretty good at this, tomato-head."

"..."

"..."

"...no, Chloe. I think that...well, this was all you."

* * *

"Good morning, class. I assume that you all have prepared your presentation for your creative arts project, correct?"

The class murmured their general agreement. Some, like Rose, looked nervous as they held onto their bright (tacky) and eye-catching (gaudy) posters. Others, namely Alya and Nino, were anxiously searching for their missing friends. Marinette and Adrien, as per usual, hadn't arrived to class on time. Chloe was neither nervous nor anxious about Adrien's whereabouts: he'd get to class soon.

Instead, she chose to observe Sabrina's five-page paper before staring out of the window. Years of handling the press (and, technically, her many years as class president in the past) had largely curbed any of her public speaking concerns, if she ever had any. Chloe had always been an outspoken girl.

Each presentation passed by rather dully, her classmates' lackluster performances clearly displaying their lack of enthusiasm for the topic. She was sure that if they immersed themselves into the topic, her classmates would create rather ingenious or startling unique projects. But _Sun,_ of all things, was a broad and rather dull topic to most of them.

Sometime during Juleka's presentation rather enthusiastic project on horror movies (undoubtedly inspired by the Horrificator incident, although Chloe wondered how exactly horror movies equated to 'Sun'), Adrien had stumbled into the classroom with Marinette on his heels, both of them spouting ridiculous excuses until Madame Bustier took pity on them and let them sit down with a stern lecture.

 _They could at least_ try _to own up to sleeping in_. Chloe rolled her eyes, but surprisingly couldn't find real malice behind her thoughts. It was more of an exasperated sigh than an actual complaint. She turned away and stared out of the window again, staring at the clouds contemplatively.

Sometimes, Chloe envied the clouds. They morphed and shifted and _moved_ so quickly, without any restraints. She vaguely recalled pretending superheroes with Adrien when she was little: they liked playing in an inflatable castle, leading to several incidents where Chloe injured herself in attempting to 'fly'. Their parents had banned playing superheroes soon enough, but it was fun while it lasted. ( _"Hah, I can fly! That means I'm your queen, Adrikins." "And I'll be your knight, my lady!"_ )

Huh, maybe _that_ was why she liked playing superheroes with Sabrina so much. Sabrina wasn't the best person to act as a superhero, but it had been _fun,_ despite the humiliation of the Antibug incident.

"Nathanael, you're next."

Chloe pulled her gaze away from the window and watched as the redhead cringed under everyone's attention before pulling himself to his feet. She nodded to him in grudging respect as he passed; like it or not, he had helped her a lot with her photos, and his help was the only reason why she was proud enough of them to present them to the class.

Nathanael cleared his throat. "I chose to make an abstract painting of the Sun."

In spite of herself, she rose an eyebrow. Nathanael had always been one for concrete drawings; once, when they had been invested in their photo-editing program, he had ranted to Chloe about the lack of creativity in modern art with surprising vigor. Chloe had retorted with a few snappish comebacks like " _everything_ is art, dumbass" and "you told me yourself: art is _expression of feelings_ , not just the Mona Lisa". He had disagreed at the time, but appeared thoughtful the meetings following their debate.

And here he was, standing there with probably the most abstract painting he'd ever created, squeezing his eyes shut and shoving it in front of him for the whole class to view.

Surprisingly, it wasn't just yellow.

There was yellow, sure, but splashed upon the canvass were bursts of orange and red. Several brown spots dotted a streak of bright lime _green_. Blots of teal blue and light purple littered the canvass, completed with a flourish of scarlet. The most striking thing about the painting was that...well, even though there was plenty of _color_ there, the majority of it was covered in a dark, encroaching black. Only the center of the painting was colored at all.

All in all, it probably wasn't what anyone expected.

"Your interpretation, Nathanael?" Madame Bustier's voice remained remarkably stoic. Chloe could _feel_ their classmates' confusion and maybe even mocking amusement, probably something along the lines of "did he put that together today?"

Chloe waited.

"We've established thus far that the Sun is light. That its light can be gentle," he gestured to the pastel colors. Then, he gestured to the brighter colors. "To scorching and dangerous."

"And the black?" Chloe couldn't help but blurt out, feeling their class's eyes on her.

And then, Nathanael gave her a tiny smile and tilted his head, as if he was waiting for that question. "Well, what is daytime without nighttime? Light without darkness? Hope without despair?"

The class remained silent.

"And...most importantly, what is hope? Hope isn't just praying for the best: it's _believing_ that there's light at the end of the tunnel, even when the Sun isn't in sight. In reality, the Sun is always there at the end of the tunnel. It just takes _us_ having the courage to step into the light."

And, with that rather dramatic note, Nathanael bowed and returned to his seat. She never knew he had it in him.

It left the class in complete silence for a long moment. Then, Chloe began clapping.

The rest of the class quickly joined in.

And so the presentations went on.

* * *

Marinette presented a bright, golden sundress that probably could've won several awards if she had used better material. Alya had several videos of sunrises and sunsets. Nino had created a bright, bubbly song.

Then, Adrien showed off his handmade scrapbook with photos of his friends. To Chloe's surmounting surprise, it wasn't just him, Alya, Marinette, and Nino: there was _Chloe_.

Six years-old Chloe and Adrien, giggling from their perch on a tree as their caretakers looked on, horrified.

Baby Chloe and Adrien, dressed in gaudy yellow and green, toddling around the Agreste mansion.

Chloe and Adrien, taking a carefree selfie with strawberry smoothies in hand, sweat still dripping down their foreheads from fencing.

Every single photo he presented had _meaning_ , had life.

"They're my Sun," Adrien said simply, then returned to his seat.

Chloe swallowed, suddenly finding it a bit hard to breathe, and sent Adrien the most genuine smile she'd ever allow in the classroom. Adrien returned it with a beam of his own.

"Miss Bourgeois?"

Chloe swallowed, stood up, and turned on the projector. "I chose to put together a photo collection for my project," she explained, not allowing her voice to waver. "I know that, after all of these projects, it might not seem the most creative, but bear with me."

"And your topic?" Madame Bustier prompted.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir," she answered, then allowed the photos to speak for themselves.

Ladybug, kneeling before a little girl, hand on her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

Chat Noir, parrying the attack of a particularly vicious akuma. Behind him cowered several civilians, shielded from the brunt of the blast by the leather-clad superhero.

Ladybug and Chat Noir, moments _after_ their signature "pound it", smiling at each other, seemingly unaware of the clicks and flashes around them as they locked gazes.

Then there were the scenes she captured outside of battle. There was Chat Noir, sitting on Chloe's rooftop, laughing at her pathetic excuse of a pun. There was Ladybug, obliging to Chloe's request for a photo, looking almost unsure of herself. She looked nothing like the confident superheroine presented to the public.

Then, finally, Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir, comforting an akuma victim after purifying the akuma.

"We put our heroes on a pedestal too much," Chloe said, knowing fully well how hypocritical she might have sounded. But if there was one thing she had learned in the past month or so of pursuing the superhero duo, it was that they were so much _more_ than just a confident superheroine and her sidekick. "They're human, just like us. They care, just like us. And they hurt, just like us."

Ugh, she _really_ should've written down her speech on a card. Chloe could feel her brain literally freezing, but to her _growing_ surprise, she found Alya raising a challenging eyebrow at her. Not in particular admiration, but not in particular disgust either. It was more of a look of contemplation. Somehow, Chloe gathered her wits to go on.

"Earlier, Nathanael was talking about the Sun symbolizing hope. And that's true. Everyone can agree that they're our hope. They're our last defense against Hawkmoth. But they're not just superheroes because they defend our town from villains: they're heroes because they inspire us." _Deep breaths, Chloe. Slow down, Chloe. Stop talking so fast, Chloe._ Little commands like those helped her focus.

"They're kind. They're gentle. They're considerate. Even without the leather and spandex, even without the mask, they're heroes. They're still our Sun. They inspire us to be the best we can be, and in return they always give us their best." Chloe was on a roll now, and if she didn't plow on, she knew that she wouldn't be able to express everything that she wanted to express. She didn't look up at any of her classmates' expressions, instead fixating her gaze on the final picture.

"They're our Sun: they're a constant in our lives that we will always believe in. When there's an akuma attack and Ladybug or Chat Noir arrives on the scene, we feel relieved and _safe_...even if the akuma isn't purified yet." Chloe paused, allowing the sentiment to sink in. It was _true:_ as soon as the duo arrived on the scene, crowds began cheering, people began smiling, and their fears shriveled away. "Why? Because we know that they'll be there for us."

She hesitated, then added, "And in turn, we should be there for them. Even if we can't be the Sun to them, we owe it to them to try. We owe it to them to inspire others, to protect, and to help them when they need us. They're not just our hope: they're our _goal._ Even if we can't be the Sun...well, shoot for the stars, and you'll land on the moon. Right?"

Chloe had...completely run out of things to say, if she had to be brutally honest. _Oh God, I rambled way too fast._

She sneaked a glance at her classmates, only to be met with dumbstruck expressions. Her cheeks heated up.

"Um...yeah." She shuffled her feet, grimaced, then pulled herself together. Striding back to her seat with a purposeful hair flip, Chloe nodded at Madame Bustier. "I'm done."

* * *

 **I forget to cross-post here a lot ahaha**


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